


A Fifth of Whisky, Stat!

by sexier_in_enochian



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Cheesiness, Cliche, Death, Drama, F/M, Illnesses, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Romance, Sexual Content, car!sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-18
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-05 18:11:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sexier_in_enochian/pseuds/sexier_in_enochian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seattle Mercy Hospital is a place full of drama. Clueless interns, pranks, secret relationships, and of course, lots of sick people needing treatment! It’s Castiel Novak’s first day as an intern at Dr. S. Ecksi’s crazy medical center.  Inspired by TV Show Scrubs, and Supernatural episode ‘Changing Channels.’</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pilot: First Day at Seattle Mercy

_‘Wake up, little Suzy, wake up!’_ the alarm clock blared, music filling the room. 6.30am. Castiel Novak groaned and threw an arm over his face, his body slowly coming to terms with the waking world and its blinding sunlight streaming through his bedroom window. He rolled over, still half asleep, finding that no matter what position he took, the bed was always comfortable and warm. _Why did this happen every time he had to get up? Every time._

As he had fallen into a deep sleep the night before after needing a pill to aid him, it took him a while to remember exactly where, when and what today was. When it clicked, he sat bolt upright, his eyes huge with panic. _Oh god, first day as an intern. At a real hospital, treating real people. Was this real life?_ Castiel glanced around his room, and sure enough, there was a pair of navy blue scrubs hanging neatly at the top of his door. Today was the day. _C’mon, relax_ , he told himself. _It won’t be that terrifying._ He sighed and shook his head, realizing he couldn't convince himself of that. Castiel had been worrying about this for weeks. At least after today it wouldn't be such a big deal anymore!

Castiel was 26, fresh out of medical school. Always knowing he wanted to be a doctor, he had worked hard and graduated as a valedictorian, to his family’s joy. On the other hand, he hadn't much enjoyed the tradition of ‘vale dicere’ – the act of saying farewell – at the graduation! Public speaking was not his forte – along with being outspoken and stepping outside of his comfort zone. Castiel was determined to change that, disallowing any of those things to stand in his way of finally becoming a good doctor. After his morning shower, Castiel pulled on his scrubs, turning to face the full-length mirror. _Huh. They look good._ Castiel’s mouth curled up in a hint of a smile, finding that he felt like a doctor already, a warm sensation flooding through his heart. _This was the day his career would really take off._ Running a hand through his dark hair and scrubbing his teeth and face, Castiel went downstairs for breakfast.

After a rather erratic journey in his white Ford, Castiel locked up the car, grabbed his rucksack and turned to face it. Seattle Mercy Hospital; his place of work for at least the next three years. His nerves had been growing more and more frayed by the minute. Now, seeing this tall and daunting medical building, Castiel’s hands began shaking as he reluctantly approached the entrance doors, passing a few doctors and patients assembled outside, chatting, smoking and drinking coffee.

 _What if he wasn’t good enough? What if he screwed up? What if… what if he killed someone by mistake? What if he got sued?_ Castiel paused mid-step, his mind frantic, and dashed over to lean against the concrete wall, breathing rapidly, panting. He was really shaking now. He didn't want to go in there. Once again, panic quickly set in.

“Hey! Whoa! Brown-baggin’ it!” a voice announced. The voice belonged to a very tall boy with coffee-colored hair past his ears, and sideburns. He was wearing scrubs too, underneath a grey hooded jacket. The boy rushed over and produced a brown paper bag. He shoved it over Castiel’s mouth. “Just breathe… calm down, man,” he soothed.

After a few minutes, the panic attack had more or less subsided. Castiel took a final deep breath and put down the bag. “Thank you, Mr-?”

“Wesson,” the boy grinned, extending a hand. “Sam Wesson.”

Castiel thanked Sam once again and braved the walk into the hospital, nearly tripping over a step on the way. He wasn’t normally this much of a klutz!

Strolling down the corridor, Castiel’s eyes tried to memorize everything. Faces, rooms, the gift shop, the elevator. But it all seemed a blur. Two men turned onto the corridor, looking at Castiel as they approached in his direction. One of the men was balding, in a white suit, carrying files. He had a goatee beard. The other was much younger, wore a burgundy suit and very stressed expression. He was carrying a briefcase and seemed to be the older man’s assistant.

“Hey, son. Bob Singer. Welcome to hell,” the older man joked as he passed by, grinning warmly, gesturing around the place. _At least Castiel hoped he was joking._ The younger man cringed and managed a weak, non-sincere smile. “Get out while you still can,” he suggested, nodding. “Seriously.” He turned into the room the older man had entered, looking grim. This did nothing for Castiel’s worry, so he tried to forget all about it.

After a few hours of signing papers, a lecture on the rules and regulations, group introductions Castiel always hated, and acquisition of schedules, the interns scattered for lunch. Castiel timidly entered the cafeteria. It was rather large, and bustling with people. He quickly made his way over for some tea to calm his nerves, followed by a cheese sandwich. In the queue, he eyed a group of interns who had also begun their first day. _It was unfair,_ Castiel thought, _that they were already hanging around together like the popular kids in high school, when he hadn't dared speak to anyone yet. Some things never change._ One of them, a girl named Jess, had been kind enough to say hello to him during the introduction. She was pretty, with long wavy blonde hair and a beautiful smile. She was sitting with two boys, one named Michael, as Castiel recalled. He was very handsome, with blue eyes, black hair and an arrogant, know-it-all attitude. _The other, blonde boy’s name… Alan, perhaps?_  
 _Or was it Adam?_

Castiel heard a miserable groan behind him, breaking his thoughts. He turned to see a red-headed girl directly behind in the queue. She was propping her head up by her elbow, her eyes closed, falling asleep right there.

“A-are you okay?”

Hearing his voice, the girl jumped and stood upright.

“Me? Oh, I’m fine! Dandy, actually! I just couldn't sleep last night, y’know, nerves. I need to caffeinate ASAP.”

She introduced herself as Charlie Bradbury, a computer whiz from Chicago who enjoys games, especially the role-playing kind. Castiel had dabbled, but most of what Charlie babbled about was nonsense to him. But still, he was happy to have found a friend, so he reacted with interest to everything she said. Which was a lot. In fact, she never stopped! After they bought lunch, she proceeded to invite Castiel over to her table, where two other guys were seated. He recognized them from the morning. One of the boys smiled nervously as he sat down. He made Castiel look brave in comparison. The other was a baby-faced Asian boy who was fidgeting with his empty coffee cup.

“Castiel Novak,” Charlie stated. “I’d like you to meet Aaron Bass and Kevin Tran.”


	2. Lunch: Who Sizzles Your Bacon?

The group eventually managed to break the ice – more like smash through it with Thor’s Hammer – as conversation swelled to a point where everyone was battling to say their part over everyone else. Castiel was more relaxed now then he had been all day, and was grateful to his new friends for that. Meanwhile, the other group of interns vacated their seats and left the cafeteria together, sauntering past with an aura of total confidence. They were definitely the popular kids of the group, probably meaning Castiel and his friends were the ‘dorks.’ Castiel could live with that, he was used to it. He personally found the nerds to be way more fun; too bad they always received such negative stereotypical connotations.  
  
The group’s conversation died down as the others passed, and when they were out of earshot, Charlie spoke up.  
“The blonde girl. What’s her name?”  
  
Castiel glanced at Charlie quickly enough to catch her looking Jess up and down with appreciation in her eyes.  
“You… you got a thing for her or something?”  
  
That brought a whole new kettle of fish to the chat, the group eagerly discussing people they had already noticed around the hospital they wouldn’t mind a little time in the storage cupboard with. Kevin had just stared in shock between the friends when he discovered he was the only straight person between them, and shook his head with a little laugh. Aaron briefly mentioned a ‘very sexy attending doctor’ of which he didn’t know the name of, insisting they had had a little ‘eye-magic moment’ earlier.  
  
“What about you, Castiel? Anyone sizzle your bacon?” Aaron quizzed.  
That was like the fourth time the guy had referenced bacon.  
  
Castiel felt a little left out, as he had not yet seen anyone in this light. It was only the first morning, after all. But, before he could answer, the double doors whizzed open and in walked the guy who had saved him from early cardiac arrest back at the entrance. Sam Wesson. Seeing Castiel, Sam flung a friendly wave his way, smiling. When Castiel returned the wave, his friends followed his gaze, all turning to stare at Sam.  
  
“Is it him?”  
“You like him, don’t you?”  
“Ask him on a date!”  
  
Castiel let out an exasperated sigh, turning serious. “C’mon guys – it’s not high school anymore. And to answer your question – no, it’s not, and I don’t.” He still smiled on the inside, though – having a social life was fun, he had missed it terribly.

Castiel looked back at Sam curiously. He was standing very close to a fairly small man in a grey jumpsuit. Castiel took a guess that he was one of the hospital janitors. His brown hair was slick, and he wore a mischievous, shifty expression. He stood cockily with a hand upon his hip, a stick hanging from his lips. A lollipop?  
  
Castiel turned back to his friends, who were still looking at each other with knowing, teasing him. Castiel could only roll his eyes in reply. He glanced back at Sam. _He was attractive, yes, but-_

Interrupting his thoughts, the sliding doors opened again, and a new face appeared. _Wow_. Castiel froze. The guy was wearing a suit and white coat, a doctor, obviously. His light brown hair was styled in a small faux hawk, and he was devastatingly good-looking. Castiel knew he was openly staring, but couldn’t take his eyes off him. The man in question sauntered over to Sam and the janitor, clapping Sam on the back and smiling.

“Charlie, who’s _that_ guy?”

Hearing no response, he faced his friend again, who was clearly clueless about the man’s identity and only shrugged back at him, her blue eyes wide. Looking over his shoulder again, his heart leapt in his chest when the young doctor’s stare fell upon him. He heard Aaron pipe up.

“Hey, that’s the sexy attending! The eye-magic guy!”

Castiel realized what he meant now; the unwavering gaze between them did feel pretty damn magical. The doctor proceeded to eye him up and down and give the hint of a smile. It was enough to make Castiel feel dizzy. The doctor then went close to Sam’s ear, mumbling something. To Castiel’s surprise, Sam looked over at him, smirking, then gestured with his hand, instructing Castiel to come over to them. His legs turned to rubber.

“Uh, I’ll be right back.” He stood up and made his way over, trying not to appear as nervous as he was. _What could they want?_ He couldn’t help fidgeting with his hands as he approached them. Once Castiel was within earshot, Sam greeted him.

“You feelin’ better? No more brown bags, ‘kay?”

Castiel nodded, immediately looking at the floor as burning redness crept across his cheeks. Sam carried on. “This is Dr. Winchester.”

Castiel looked up at the doctor again. _He was even more gorgeous close up._  
 _Such green eyes. Holy crap._

“C’mon Sammy, no need to be formal around the new interns! Call me Dean,” Dr. Winchester instructed, shaking Castiel’s trembling hand and learning his name. Just shaking Dean’s hand, he swore he felt electricity shoot between them. But he did his best to ignore it; probably imagining it. Dean looked at him again and bit his bottom lip a little.

“So, um… are there any doctors we need to watch out for? The Dr. Hyde types?”

“Yeah. Him.” The janitor answered, pointing an accusatory finger at Dean and grinning. His voice had a definite comical way about it, the kind of voice that made anything seem like a joke.

Dean ignored him, suddenly appearing professional and serious.

“Well there’s our Chief of Medicine – Bob – he’s a nice guy unless he thinks you’re an ‘idjit,’ then he’ll tear you a bunch of new ones. The guy who’s always two seconds behind him and looks like he’s gonna cry, that’s Chuck. Poor guy, he’s always stressed out about somethin’. The Chief of Residents – and you guys – he’s called Dr. Ecksi. Dr. Scott Ecksi. Wears cowboy boots and doesn’t give a damn about the uniform rules. He’s pretty strict so you should watch out.”

Dean’s eyes wandered then, and he seemed to be daydreaming about something. Snapping back to reality, he continued. “Then there’s the Big Cheese. He’s an attending, like me, but he loves to rant. Torture new interns. Always has to be right. Lemme tell you, he’s gonna have a bad nickname for all of you by the end of the week.” He chuckled. “Anyway, if you need anything, come find me,” Dean put a hand on Castiel’s shoulder, letting it slide slowly, flirtatiously, down his arm. He winked – actually winked - at Castiel, before announcing his leave and hurrying back to work, Sam hot on his heels.

Turning to face the janitor, Castiel asked, “So, what do I uh, call you?”

“You can call me The Janitor.”

Castiel found that a little weird, but simply nodded and began to depart back to his table. The Janitor grabbed his shoulder and took the lollipop out of his mouth.

“And kiddo, mess up my hospital – I’ll find you,” he teased, pointing the candy stick in his face.


	3. Sam the Surgeon

Two days later, the friends met up at the entrance doors for morning coffee before gruelling rounds began. Castiel had surprised himself over how quickly he had gotten used to the place, and he laughed in his mind when he recalled the panic he had felt before. _It wasn’t so bad at all. Although, anything could happen._

A small red car pulled up in the lot, and out of it Jess and Michael emerged.

“Why are they coming together?”

“Didn’t you hear?” Kevin tilted his head closer, attempting to be subtle. “They’re together already, from like, day one. I guess they stayed at the same place last night.”

Castiel could only grunt in reply.  
 _Figures. This place really was like high school, or the first week in college._

Minutes later, a motorcycle parked up. Removing his helmet, Adam approached the group.

“Hey, guys. How’s it going? I was uh… wondering if I can join you at lunch – kinda feel like a third wheel around Michael and Jess.” There was a bitter tone to his voice that Castiel picked up on, but he decided not to mention it. Adam seemed like a nice guy, and they accepted his request.

That day, at rounds – in layman’s terms; walking around and diagnosing patients based on their symptoms, kind of like tests by the attendings – Castiel learned what Dean had meant when he mentioned the Big Cheese. It came in the form of a doctor named Balthazar. He was a tall, thin blonde man with a British accent, and he really did like to torture interns.

“This woman is suffering from- ah… um…”

“Are you nervous, Dr. Milligan?”

Before Adam could reply, Balthazar added, “I don’t care. See, nerves get people killed. All of you will eventually be responsible for someone’s death in this bloody place. Get used to it. You’re terrible doctors and I could train an orang-utan to do this job better than you yahoos.”

He appeared amused when he saw the shocked and frightened faces of the interns.

“Heh-heh, allright! So, what is she suffering from?”

The patient from that terrifying round, Mrs. Rosen, was already Castiel’s firm favourite. She was elderly, with a friendly face, and always offered them candy when they checked up on her. She still had all her marbles in the bag too, and loved to give deep advice whether people had asked for it or not. Adam had eventually managed to correctly diagnose her even at the hand of the frightening Balthazar giving him a death glare. Mrs. Rosen had cardiomyopathy – a weak heart – and was waiting on a heart transplant, finally climbing near top of the extremely long waiting list. On his first day, Castiel had voiced his fears that his nerves would ruin everything he had worked for, to which Mrs. Rosen had simply grabbed his hand and said “Courage is found in unlikely places, child. You haven’t realized it, but you’re already brave for choosing this line of work. And look how far you’ve come! Face your fears, and then they’ll have no more power over you, dear.” Castiel had almost cried then; this sweet old woman immensely reminding him of his late grandmother.

At the end of his long shift, Castiel stopped by the cafeteria to pick up some decaf. The sun had already set and the place had switched off most of its lights. Castiel found it looked strange when there was no one around, lonesome, but strangely calming, too. _The shrouded figure in the corner must have had the same idea._

Castiel took a few steps closer, squinting in the dim light.

“Sam? Is that you?” Sam looked up from his cup, exhausted. He was wearing green scrubs.

“Hey, Castiel.”

“So, you’re a surgeon?”

“Yeah, still a resident, though. I might be bad company tonight man, kinda been a rough day.”

Castiel pressed on. “What’s the matter?”

He sat down opposite Sam, who revealed that he had just lost a patient during his last procedure.

“I’m trying not to blame myself; it’s just hard whenever this stuff happens. I just, I really thought he had a shot, y’know?”

Castiel listened, before reassuring Sam that it was just the guy’s time, things happen, and he did everything he could. He then cringed, thinking of how many clichés were dredged up in that sentence. He decided to try to cheer Sam up instead.

“Um, the Janitor – you guys are close, huh?”

Sam smiled, his eyes lighting up. “Uh, yeah. Real close.”

“So what’s his real name?”

Castiel was happy to see that Sam laughed then. “I can’t tell you that! No one in the whole hospital knows his name – well, ‘cept me.” A smug grin played around his lips.

Castiel let it go, and couldn’t resist asking, “And you’re close with Dr. Winchester too?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, but not in the same way as Gabe-“  
He stopped, a hand dramatically rising up to cover his mouth.

“Gabe? That’s the Janitor’s name?”

“Damn it! Okay, it’s Gabriel. But you can’t tell him you know. He’d kill me. He likes his aliases.”  
Sam had definitely brightened up. Castiel felt proud of himself for polishing up on his people skills the last couple of days. _They didn’t seem quite so rusty anymore._

“Don’t worry, secret’s safe with me. So, Dr. Winchester… is he married?” Castiel blushed a little, realizing he might sound a little too eager.

“No. Hell, no. But he did have a schoolgirl crush on one of the doctors who is!” Sam snickered. “When Dean found out Dr. Ecksi was married, I almost bought him two cartons of ice cream to drown his sorrows, and cheer up that sour puss of his.”

Castiel laughed with Sam, trying to ignore the stupid twinges of jealousy that suddenly ran through him.

“You should have seen him all blushing and shy when he first saw the doctor coming down the hall. Neon sign. But seriously, he’s like a big brother to me. You guys should get to know each other, I’m sure you’d hit it off.”

Sam had succeeded in making his voice sound casual, but when Castiel looked into his blue-brown eyes, he could tell that Sam knew something he didn’t. Was he trying to play matchmaker? Not that Castiel would have minded being set up with a doctor like Dean Winchester.

 

 _Friday morning_. Castiel had always liked Friday, the joy of a relaxing weekend looming, getting to sleep late, eat junk and watch TV. _Although other people got to hang out with their partners or socialize, he thought, feeling a little bitter._

The day passed without much incident, save for Jess and Michael already having a domestic argument, Charlie being psyched about a date she had tomorrow, Gabe – _uh, the Janitor_ – spraying water on Kevin’s pants to make it look like he had an embarrassing accident, and Balthazar managing to make an intern cry.

“’Night, Chuck!” Castiel called as he passed the sheepish man in the corridor, who smiled and waved back at him. Passing through the front doors, Castiel fumbled for his car keys.

“Hey, wait!” The doors flew open again, mid-close.

Castiel turned around to find Dean jogging across the lot, towards him. His heart began to pound instantly. Reaching Castiel, Dean said nothing for a few seconds, seeming a little dazed but holding eye-contact. He seemed shy, different then when they had met in the café.

“So, uh, end of your first week huh? Hope you haven’t been scared off.” Dean’s cheeks flushed ever so slightly. “Anyway…uh, now your shift’s over, wanna go for coffee?”

Castiel’s breath hitched a little. _Dean – asking him out? Unless he meant as colleagues, but why come after him if it was only that – he was friends with pretty much everyone at the hospital. Damn, stop thinking, Castiel._  
  
Hearing no answer and seeing Castiel look like the wind had been knocked out of him, Dean interpreted it very wrongly, disappointment all over his face.

“Look, _Cas_ , you don’t have to – I just thought we could get together, I could mentor you on some of the important stuff and you could bite Balthazar in the ass. But seriously, it’s okay.”

“No, no. I-“ Cas started, but the simultaneous beeping of both their pagers ensured that he never got to finish.

Dean glanced down, squinting at the device, Cas mimicking him. Reading it, they both snapped up and their eyes met, wide in panic.

“It’s Mrs. Rosen. She’s coding!”


	4. Up on Mercy Hill

During their frantic sprint back into the building, Dean shouted over his shoulder to Cas.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to do anything this time. Just watch and learn!”

Mrs. Rosen’s room flooded with people, and Cas took a place in the corner panting a little from the run, his heart racing. _No. Not this sweet old lady._ Voices informed them of the situation. “She’s in respiratory failure, heart is non-responsive. No pulse.”

Dean took the lead.

“The defibrillator, stat!” he ordered a nurse. He began performing CPR on the old lady. Cas could only observe in amazement at how good Dean was, how quickly he handled everything, and how steady and level-headed he remained. Cas, on the other hand, was biting back tears of fear and worry; it was extremely different reading about this stuff and practicing it than it was to see for real. Someone’s life hanging in the balance.

“Clear!”

More minutes rushed by, Dean doing absolutely everything he had been taught to save lives, but when he eventually slumped over, sighing, the flatlining machine a hideous soundtrack to the awful scene before them, he called it. “Time of death: 8.47pm.” He shook his head and swiftly exited the room.

Cas followed Dean out, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

“I- I can’t believe…”

Dean turned around to face him. “Hey hey, c’mon. You can’t let this stuff get to you. I’m sorry we lost her, but there was nothing we could do about it.”

Cas only nodded, indicating that he appreciated Dean’s effort, and that he knew Dean was right. But Cas couldn’t help a single tear rolling down his cheek. Dean rushed forward and grabbed the young intern in a tight, comforting hug. Cas gasped, not expecting this from his superior, but quickly reciprocated the embrace, his hands on the doctor’s back.

“This is why you shouldn’t get emotionally invested in your patients. But I’m glad you went through this sooner rather than later. Believe it or not, it makes you stronger,” Dean uttered in a quiet and soothing voice, still holding Cas. “It seems like you have too much heart, Castiel. But that’s not always a bad thing.”

He pulled away then, holding Cas’s shoulders at arm’s length. He looked into Cas’s blue eyes again.

“Having a personal touch with your patients can be what makes a good doctor into a great doctor.” He flashed another gorgeous smile. “So, how about that coffee now?”

They walked down the winding corridors again in a slightly awkward silence. Cas was racking his brain for anything to say, but it was annoyingly drawing a big blank. He turned right to head to the hospital café, but Dean reached out and seized his hand.

“Not coffee at the hospital,” he smirked.

Cas had butterflies dancing in his stomach in anticipation as Dean lead him to the front doors again and across the lot. Mainly because Dean had kept his gentle grip on Cas’s hand the whole way to the car. He blushed, feeling like a teenage girl. _No way he was gonna pull away from that._

Dean stopped when they reached a sleek, black saloon car. The muffled sound of unlocking as Dean pressed the button on his keys. “Wow, impressive,” Cas commented. “You’re doing well.”

Dean scoffed. “Can’t complain. Well – _I can_ – 600 hours a week in this dump, no time for uh, _dates_ , anymore. “ He said this pointedly, then studied Cas’s face, searching for some kind of validation.  
 _So, this really was a date!_ Cas just nodded in reply, speechless.

Slipping into the passenger seat, Cas made use of stealing appreciative glances at Dean as he drove them somewhere.   
_Damn, he really was sexy._

About five minutes later, he stopped the car and got out, walking around the other side to open Cas’s door. As Cas got out and surveyed their surroundings, Dean shed his doctor’s coat and jacket, rolling the sleeves of his white shirt up.   
_He looked even sexier like this._

“This place is really beautiful, Dean.” Cas was astounded at the place Dean had brought them to. It was up a sloping hill, and from it they could see all the twinkling lights of the city below them, and as it was a clear night, the hundreds of stars dotted in the dark blue sky. It was quiet and perfect. Romantic, even.

Cas tried his best to control his nerves and appear nonchalant.  
“Hey, I thought you said we were gonna get coffee!” he teased.

Dean laughed. “Well, I hope you can forgive me. But I did bring an alternative.” He opened the car door and from the side pocket he pulled out two glass bottles of chocolate milk. “I bought these from the cafeteria, it still counts!”

Cas shook his head, grinning widely. “Chocolate milk? I don’t think I’ve drank this stuff since I was eight years old.”

“You kiddin’? Chocolate milk never gets old! Though, I’d kill for a beer right now.”

They popped open the bottles of milk and stood side by side, leaning against the car, gazing up at the sea of stars. Cas held up his bottle in a toast. “To Mrs. Rosen!”

“To Mrs. Rosen.”


	5. Too Cold Out Here

The pair watched the thousands of stars in silence for a few minutes as they both nervously sipped on their drinks. This was a very different date than a usual dinner or movie. Cas decided that he liked that – _it was unique and original, a lot like Dean._

A gust of wind suddenly swirled up around them, and Cas couldn’t help shivering in protest. He was still only wearing his cotton-thin navy scrubs - they had left the hospital so quickly he’d forgotten to pick up his jacket from the locker room. The quiver attracted Dean’s attention away from the sparkling astral view above them, and he looked over at Cas, concern in his eyes.

“You cold?”

“Uh, only a little. I’ll be fine.” Cas fidgeted with his bottle shyly, not wishing to appear critical of Dean’s pleasant evening, although he was becoming more than just “a little” cold now.

“I think I can do something about that,” Dean informed playfully. He then proceeded to casually slip an arm around Cas’s waist and pull him closer, staring into Cas’s now dilated-almost-black eyes, his nerves shot to hell.

Cas had never been good at the first time of doing anything, especially where physical contact was concerned. He tried to quickly decide what he should do with his body now – _rest on Dean’s shoulder? Copy Dean’s gesture?_ The chocolate milk must have been laced with something alcoholic, however, when Cas suddenly felt a rush of bravery and spontaneity. He turned so he was now standing face to face with Dean rather than beside him, the doctor pressed against the car, his arm still around Cas. Cas smiled, keeping his eyes locked on Dean’s, and leaned forward, closer and closer – Dean breaking contact to focus on his lips – and Cas reached behind him and placed his now empty bottle on the car’s hood.

Dean stuttered out a nervous laugh. “That was, uh, real smooth,” he stated, trying to cover up his embarrassment over the assumption, his cheeks flushing in the darkness. However, Cas still felt brave, especially upon realizing the attending doctor wasn’t quite so intimidating after all; he was just as nervous as Cas was. He felt an unfamiliar yearning, identifying it as longing to touch the man in front of him. Cas decided to just act without thinking, fondly remembering Mrs. Rosen’s words about facing his fears.

Cas looked at Dean again, and gently slipped his fingers through the belt loop of Dean’s trousers. The doctor’s breath hitched as Cas used it to pull him closer. He then wrapped his other arm around Dean’s waist, mirroring him. Keeping his eyes upon Dean’s, even at such a close proximity, Cas paused, waiting.

It took less than two seconds before Dean’s lips tenderly met his own. The butterflies in Cas’s stomach intensified a thousand fold as he sank into the kiss, his hand coming up to rest on Dean’s chest as the doctor trailed his fingers through Cas’s hair, their bodies pressing closer together. There was now no space between them as their kiss became hungrier, eagerly exploring each other’s mouths. Cas let his hands wander up Dean’s now untucked shirt, his fingers lightly stroking the smooth small of his back which caused Dean to shudder a little in response - _Cas’s hands were like ice!_

Dean broke the kiss first. “It’s too cold out here to, um, y’know.”

Cas laughed, pulling away from their embrace. He had had an idea and walked over to tug on the handle of Dean’s car door – giving access to the back of the car, giving Dean a quizzical look. Dean could only chuckle and nod in reply before Cas climbed in the vehicle, lying on his back across the seats.

Dean crawled in after him, his legs in between Cas’s as he slammed the door shut behind him. Facing Cas, they crashed together again, kissing much more aggressively this time. Cas tugged at Dean’s tie, undoing it completely so he wouldn’t have to break the intense and perfect kiss to take it off over Dean’s head, and began fumbling at the buttons on the doctor’s shirt.

Dean moaned a little into the kiss, before reluctantly having to end it in order to pull Cas’s shirt off too. Cas immediately ran his fingers across Dean’s chest as he tugged his own shirt off completely. Their bodies pressed tightly together again, their unclothed skin brushing together, warm and smooth. Cas resumed stroking along Dean’s back again, his lips caressing Dean’s neck, nuzzling all the way down to where it met his shoulder – taking in Dean’s scent, a mix of a faintly sweet cologne and a natural, indescribable scent – _it was simply intoxicating_. Dean moaned softly once again when Cas’s fingers grazed against the sides of his waist – a very weak spot of his.

Cas grinned, enjoying how he could make someone like Dr. Winchester turn into a shivering mess like this, enjoying the control he had and how pleasurable it was to touch Dean and his flawlessly addictive skin. Cas used the tip of his tongue to trail up Dean’s neck again and his hand travelled down, going to gently rub at Dean’s now very hard member over the material of his pants. Dean inhaled sharply, his hand heading in the same direction as Cas’s, as Dean began to tug at his own buttons, eager to free himself from the confines of the clothing - _and then his beeper sounded once again._

Cas and Dean both groaned loudly and Dean muttered “oh God, no,” before collapsing on Cas’s chest in exasperation, extremely irritated at the interruption. “They really pick their goddamn times to need my help,” Dean complained, a slightly amused tone punctuating his voice. Cas laughed softly, squeezing Dean’s shoulder in compassion.

Dean lifted his head up and simply asked “Rain check?” before planting a final little kiss upon Cas’s lips.


	6. Ding!

After the terribly timed interruption, Dean had driven Cas back to the hospital and kissed him goodbye before heading back to work, leaving Cas to go on home, still feeling completely euphoric over what had happened on Mercy Hill. They hadn’t arranged to meet over the weekend as Dean was working long shifts, so they agreed to see what the next week would bring.

Of course, that meant that Cas’s previous conviction about looking forward to weekends was spectacularly, immediately reversed, and instead he found himself waiting in agony for the week to begin. All he could think of was those lips, the green eyes, and that scent which occassionally assaulted his senses in the wind, making him ache to hold Dean again. Cas scolded himself for being so infatuated with this man after one little date, embarrassment rushing through him.

When Monday morning finally rolled around and Cas had admittedly spent a few extra minutes styling his hair and looking in the mirror, he found himself searching for Dean whenever he walked up and down corridors or entered floors. During one moment of frustration, Cas was seeking out the doctor with such intent that his arm crashed into a plastic cup on a surface, causing someone’s hot latte to fly off and pool out on the clean floor.

Cas heard an angry throat clear and looked up to be faced with a clearly disgruntled Gabriel. He was clutching a mop and shaking his head. “Y’know, I would just make you _drink_ that, but since my overgrown moose is apparently quite taken with ya, get the hell outta here before I change my mind.”

Cas scurried out of the room apologetically and into the safety of an elevator, pressing the button for 12, knowing he had rounds there in ten minutes.

_DING!_

It stopped on floor 2, and Cas’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when the doors opened to present Balthazar - and Dean. Dean seemed happy too, and winked flirtatiously at Cas once again as the two men stepped into the carriage and Balthazar pressed the button for number 4.

“Who has the time for bloody stairs these days?” Balthazar continued to rant, staying near the front of the elevator, not noticing how close the two doctors behind him had gotten. He also failed to notice Cas’s hand subtly reach out and grab Dean’s firm little ass, both of them silently laughing, Balthazar’s complaining only background music to their ears.

_DING!_

Stopping at 4, Balthazar exited, giving the final word. “Good day, Dr. Winchester. And don’t kill any patients, _kitten_.” Cas immediately looked up and recoiled – realizing that was his own, newly established nickname.

The doors closed again, leaving Cas and Dean alone in their ascent. Before he could turn to Dean and enquire as to why his nickname was based on a small feline, Dean pushed him up against the wall of the elevator and moved close until only an inch was between them. Dean held back, seemingly aiming to get revenge for Cas’s teasing during their first date. He whispered seductively against Cas’s lips. “Kiss me.”

There was no way Cas could’ve resisted that even if he’d bothered to try, and he pressed his lips to Dean’s without hesitation, and they both began furiously making out against the wall, hands all over each other.

_DING!_

The elevator doors opened after Dean and Cas flew apart at the speed of light, adjusting their jackets and standing up perfectly straight like children who had nearly just been caught misbehaving. Adam and Aaron got in seeming none the wiser, greeting Cas.

“Dr. Winchester?” Aaron murmured. “Are you available to go get a drink or something tonight? I mean, we could…” he trailed off, shrugging in question. Cas’s heart leapt and he felt a surge of jealousy, although he already knew Dean’s answer. He exchanged a knowing glance with Adam, before Dean replied.

“Yeah, uh, but no. Sorry. I’m your superior – we’re not really allowed to get involved with our interns.”

Cas’s stomach tied in a knot then, because he realized Dean was being serious. He had forgotten about Dean being his higher up, and Cas wasn’t aware of this rule. He tried to tell himself that Dean had just made it up for Aaron’s benefit.

“That’s cool, no problem,” a disappointed Aaron replied.

_DING!_

The elevator stopped on 9, and Dean took his leave, smiling warmly at Cas and disappearing around a corner. Aaron stepped out too. “Guys, I’ll be on 12 in five seconds – I’m gonna go use the bathroom first.”

On the final ascent, Cas finally found himself alone with Adam – and took the opportunity to ask what he had been meaning to for a few days. “Adam. You seemed kind of upset about the Michael and Jess fiasco. Are you alright?”

Adam looked to the floor and shuffled his feet before stuttering out a reply.

“This doesn’t leave this room – or elevator shaft – ‘kay? But yeah, I was, because I have a kinda, well sort of a… thing. For Michael. It’s just a crush, it’ll pass.”

Cas raised his eyebrows, not expecting that revelation.

_DING!_

Sam said a quick hello to the two young interns behind the opening doors as they left, and he took their place and pressed the button for 1. It was a reasonably fast descent, the hospital not being too busy at 9am. Sam sighed in annoyance, rolling his eyes when the elevator stopped at 3, however.

_DING!_

His annoyance was short lived when he discovered the button-presser was in fact, his janitor. “Hey there, handsome.” Gabriel flirted, strolling into the carriage.

Having a strange and comical relationship, Sam and Gabriel had the tendency to act like idiots around each other – often playing a game of who could make who laugh first. So Sam tried not to react when Gabriel began singing next to him.

_“It all started, with a latte, on the floor. There was a hatred I had never felt, before!”_

“C’mon Gabe-“

_“So now I’ll make him pay, each and every day! Until that blue-eyed kitten is… no… more.”_

“Baby, _please_ ,” Sam cracked, giggling. He wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s waist and kissed the shorter man’s head. “Is this about Cas? Lay off him, please… for me? This morning Dean said… he said that he could really fall in love with that kid.”

Gabriel grumbled but agreed not to punish Cas, though he still had a deceptive twinkle in his eye.


	7. Gabriel's Revenge

After a fairly successful day of diagnosing – thankfully he had managed to stay focused long enough – Cas set off for the elevator once again to pick up his stuff from the lockers before going home. In passing, he bumped into the friendly surgeon for a final time.

“Hey, you!”

“Hello, Sam.”

“So listen, there’s a party tonight, 8.30, at that bar on 1st, Alibi Room? It’s a surprise kinda thing for Nurse Deville; he’s turning forty tomorrow. I’ve been saddled with the job of inviting all the interns. It’s a little short notice, but, you wanna come?”

“Um, sure. I’ll be there.”

“Great. See you there. Nurse Deville is a bit of a wiseacre with a pretty major superiority complex, but at least he’s entertaining. You might say… he’s a _hell of a guy_. “

Huh? If Sam had been making some kind of reference there, Cas didn’t understand it. After their chat, Cas headed off and got into the elevator, making a mental note to ask his friends to join him at the party before he left the hospital. He instantly wondered if Dean would also be there. This made him smile inadvertently as he was reminded of Dean again, and he felt butterflies of excitement rising profusely in his stomach.

As it was only 4pm, Cas decided to go down to the cafeteria again, grab some coffee and wait for his friends to finish their shifts. He knew they would all be done by 5 o’clock anyway, and his lack of sleep was beginning to catch up to him. The elevator doors slid open, and Cas took a step out. Not more than a second later, a cold and wet sensation immediately hit him smack in the crotch.

Cas jolted in shock, and looked down to see a dripping mop pressed hard against the nether region of his scrubs. He followed the mop to some hands, to a small and grinning janitor.

“Gotcha! _That’s_ for the latte, bucko,” Gabriel sniggered.

Cas could only glare at Gabriel and retreat hastily down the hall, pants now highlighted with a dark patch along his crotch and upper thigh. He was still quite intimidated by Gabriel, for reasons unknown to him. _It was like getting gum in your hair at school._ He hurried down another winding corridor trying to hunch his body over in a manner that his pants wouldn’t be quite so obvious. He now fully empathized with Kevin from last week. _This was so embarrassing. What did a sweet guy like Sam see in that menace?_

Approaching a storage closet, Cas hoped he would find some tissues, or just anything that would dry out his scrubs a little. Or possibly contain some fresh ones. Pulling the door open, he realized the store cupboard was already occupied – for reasons unrelated to medicine.

He was faced with two girls –one with dark hair, one with red – aggressively making out against the shelves, knocking boxes and bags and other equipment from them in their passionate embrace. Cas gasped when they turned around, sensing his presence – one of the girls was revealed to be Charlie.

Unfazed, she just gave him a look. “Dude, kinda… busy in here?”  
Her date at the weekend must have been a big hit.

Cas blushed and whispered a small apology before slamming the door shut and quickly turning around, in order to run over to the next storeroom. However, he hadn’t looked where he was going and crashed straight into the doctor standing right behind him.

“Sorry, sorry! Bad day,” Cas muttered grumpily before realizing the man was, in fact, Dean.  
He flushed even redder, feeling like a complete fool.

“Oh – um, hello, Dean.”

“Hey, Cas. What happened to your pants?”

“The _Janitor happened_. I think I have to go home and change – it feels, um, _really_ uncomfortable. But hey,” Cas looked around to find that they were alone, and pulled Dean to him, wrapping his arms around Dean’s waist. “Why don’t you come with me?” He planted a small kiss upon Dean’s soft lips. “We could, uh, pick up where we left off last week?”

Now it was Dean’s turn to blush, small pink circles erupting across the apples of his cheeks. He returned a kiss to Cas. “That sounds great, Cas. _Really great_. But – I gotta go up to human resources, I don’t know what they want, but it doesn’t sound good.”

Before Cas could ask the doctor to elaborate, Dean kissed the tip of his nose and walked off, his face pinched up with worry. Cas’s heart sank – _what if Dean was in some kind of trouble?_ Then the feeling of cold, wet fabric clung to his skin again and snapped Cas out of his thoughts.

By 5pm, Cas was located in the café once more, more coffee in hand. He had settled for seeking out an empty washroom and hovering underneath the hand-dryer for twenty minutes until there was nothing that suggested he had had some kind of bladder emergency. He wanted to wait for his friends’ shifts – and Dean’s meeting - to be over.

Sure enough, Cas caught his fellow interns on their exit from the elevator as they passed by the cafeteria doors. All were eager to attend the mystery nurse’s shindig; apart from Kevin, who had cello practice that evening. He was apparently part of a prestigious orchestra outside of work, and Cas had to wonder where he found the time – he must spend all his time being productive, and Cas couldn’t help envying that.

Cas and Charlie took a bench in the lot when the others left, watching the sky turn a rich orange colour with tones of pink blended in as the sun began to set. The birds were chirping, the weather was still with the exception of a calm and slow breeze. Cas found that it relaxed his nerves – about Dean, about the party, about everything.

“So, tell me about that girl.”

Charlie lit up, and rattled off at manic speed about the nurse she had been frolicking in the store cupboard with, explaining their date had gone extremely well and how smitten she was with this woman, Gilda. Suddenly, Cas jumped as Dean’s fingers tapped him on the shoulder.

“We need to talk.”

 

Charlie took the hint and announced her goodbyes, exchanging a worrying look with Cas when she left, as both interns noticed the serious and dissatisfied expression written on the attending doctor’s face.

“What’s wrong, Dean?”

Dean replaced Charlie on the bench, his large green eyes sweeping around the area to ascertain that they were on their own. He narrowed his gaze at Cas, and sighed deeply.

“I don’t know how the hell it happened; but the higher-ups heard that I was seeing an intern outside of work – romantically – and it’s pretty much frowned upon for us. Forbidden, even. Same goes for dating patients when you’re treating them, it’s an oath we take, a trust kinda thing. So, uh,” Dean squinted, looking up to the sky in something that resembled despair as Cas stared unblinking at him, his heart tightening painfully, “I’m sorry, Cas. I can’t see you anymore.”


	8. Well, That Was Dramatic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter does feature sexually explicit material. I tried to keep it classy, though! I hope you like it! (I've never written porn before so please be gentle!)

Dean gave Cas a final furtive, regretful look and rose up from the bench, leaving Cas without a word.

Leaving Cas, who simply stared at the ground with his skin prickling, hands trembling and his eyes close to tearing up. Cas couldn’t comprehend his body’s physical reaction over a doctor he had had one date with, and this lack of understanding made him feel even more distraught. Thoughts ran through his mind, hundreds per minute; thoughts about himself and Dean actually being together, telling his friends excitedly about it, going home together at night, Dean’s scent, his lips – lips he would never get to touch or experience again. He realized that he wanted Dean a million times more now that he was being denied him.

He wanted to run after the young doctor, be embraced in his strong arms again, Dean to smile that beautiful smile that showed off his perfect teeth and tell him it was all a joke. Cas almost felt heartbroken, and chastised himself for feeling this way. He had known Dean a week - _although it felt like much longer_ \- it was no big deal; he would meet someone else down the road.

_But they wouldn’t be Dean._

Cas traipsed off in the direction of his car feeling miserable, and passed two trainee nurses chatting earnestly. He couldn’t help overhearing the conversation. “Didn’t you hear? Dr. Ecksi’s divorce is final! He’s a free man!” The statement was followed with an excited giggle.

 

After wallowing in a tub of mint chocolate-chip ice cream and attempting to watch back to back episodes of _Friends_ as an upbeat pick-me-up, Cas grumpily admitted he felt no better as the hands of the clock approached 8pm. He had decided after the talk with Dean that he was way too disheartened to show his face at the party. However, the more he began thinking about it, the more Cas began to convince himself that he _should_ go. Maybe his friends would lift his spirits; maybe he would meet someone else and forget about Dean immediately, and maybe he would just get blind drunk, and forget Dean that way instead. It was better than crying into his _Ben & Jerry’s_. Before he knew it, Cas was leaping from his chair with defiance and changing out of his cotton scrubs, throwing on black jeans, black button-up shirt and a crimson satin tie, rolling up the sleeves of the shirt to appear casual, that he hadn’t made too much of an effort. He ran a hand through his hair and after a final check in the mirror, Cas was behind the wheel of his Ford again, hurrying to set off before his nerves – _and his sense_ – took over and made him change his mind.

Pulling up outside the Alibi Room, Cas took a deep cleansing breath, mentally preparing himself to deal with people again, and prepare himself to see Dean. Dean, who he could now no longer kiss or glance at whenever he wanted, and probably not even talk to due to the cold and insensitive way Dean had just left him behind after saying they were done. Cas felt guilty for thinking such things. If Dean’s job was in jeopardy for seeing him, Cas had no right to blame him for it. The road into this profession was long and hard and if Dean lost his job, Cas knew he would never forgive himself. It still did nothing to quash the feeling of bitterness and rejection consuming Cas now, though. He gulped back the lump in his throat and pulled at the door, stepping inside the crowded bar.

It was decorated beautifully. The bar’s interior was classy and elegant, dim wall lights illuminating the large room. The bar was constructed of glossy black marble which glittered in the light, the seats padded with red velvet. There were red and black balloons artfully arranged around a fancy banner, reading “ _Happy Birthday to the King_ ” in some sort of elaborate calligraphy. The King? This guy must be a big deal in his division of work. Cas wondered why he had never heard of him before today.

“Castiel, hey!” Sam wandered over, handing him a glass of red wine. He was accompanied by Gabriel, both men dressed formally in suits – Sam in white and Gabriel in black, respectively. Cas almost laughed at how different the pair appeared; in personality, style and _especially_ in height. The theory about opposites attracting definitely applied to these two. It was kind of endearing, Cas thought. Cute, even. Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows at Cas playfully, clearly not sorry about the mop incident from before. Cas smiled back at him a little, realizing that Gabriel was just the type of person who loved jokes and pranks as a way of making life brighter and interacting with people. He didn’t actually seem malicious in any way. _If he was, he wouldn’t have won Sam over, right?_

After a few minutes of chat, a voice called out from across the room. Balthazar. He was peering through the curtains of the bar, eyes fixed on a target outside the window.

“Shut up now, everyone! He’s coming!”

In his accent everything sounded a lot more intimidating, and all of the guests immediately obeyed, proceeding to crouch in a stealthy manner as the lights dimmed down further. A few moments passed, and the glass door slowly opened, an unsuspecting silhouette entering. The lights immediately flashed on brightly and everyone leapt up, taking it as their cue.

“SURPRISE!”

The man was fairly small, in all black, with chestnut hair and large brown eyes. His face wore the expression of initial shock, but he seemed composed in every other way. He smirked at the crowd and announced in a Cockney accent, “Well, _that_ was dramatic.”

People began flocking around him, exchanging lots of hugs and friendly kisses, giving him gifts and cards as Cas turned back to Sam, who was now leaning against the bar with his arm around Gabriel, the smaller man resting against his broad chest, arm around Sam’s waist. It was the first time he had seen the janitor show any kind of affection, and it was strange to finally witness it.

“So, that’s the nurse.”

“Yep.” Sam took a sip of his wine before continuing. “First name’s Crowley. Crowley Deville. Pretty sassy, but we all love the guy. Well, love-hate is more like it.”

Cas was just about to ask Sam why the man was known as the king, but then he saw _him_ and any coherent thoughts were instantly lost. Dean was standing across the room, near the mass of well-wishers. And he wasn’t alone. Dr Ecksi was beside him, and Dean was standing close – a little too close – and talking into his ear over the music. He then noticed Cas watching him and pulled away, locking eyes with the intern’s. Cas’s immediate instinct was to look away; anywhere else, but he was almost frozen in horror, and he could only stare back.

_So there he was, pining for Dean, thinking about him non-stop, and Dean was already trying to hook up with his old crush that same day? As soon as the guy’s divorce came through?_

Cas’s heart raced faster and faster as the horrible feeling quickly crept over him. A nasty mixture of sadness, rejection, humiliation, anger and jealousy all began fighting for dominance inside him. It was like falling into a deep, dark hole with no chance of getting out. Cas eventually managed to look away, turning his back in disgust. He wandered over to the front of the bar and ordered another glass of wine to take the edge off and maybe let him breathe normally again.

He felt so used – so unimportant. _So he was just a second fiddle to the amazing Dr. Ecksi. So Dean just wanted to mess around with a new intern, probably had a bet going with someone. Maybe he did this with new interns every year._ Cas felt ridiculous for even thinking that they really could have had something further down the line.

Cas turned back again to face the crowds, sipping down his drink as if it was his last. He wanted to go home more than anything right now, and regretted ever giving the party a try. He even felt miserable at the thought of work on Wednesday. _All because of Dean. Beautiful, heartless, sweet, perfect Dean_. It took all of Cas’s strength to not look back in the direction of the doctor, knowing doing so would just give him the same awful feeling, again and again. Instead, Cas chose to look over at Sam and Gabriel. Since Sam had rescued him with a paper bag that day, Cas found a kind of comfort in him.

But when his eyes located the tall surgeon, comfort was far from what he felt. It was the exact opposite. Sam had immense disappointment in his eyes, his eyebrows raised and forehead crinkled, looking like a lost and sad puppy dog. He was looking right at Cas, and then over Cas’s shoulder at something else. Cas automatically glanced around to discover what was causing Sam such distress.

He immediately wished to God he hadn’t. Dean and Dr. Ecksi were sitting in the corner of the room now, and Dean’s arm was loosely draped over the shoulder of the older doctor, and Dean was smiling fondly at him. Cas couldn’t take it anymore. It stung like an arrow to his heart, and he shook his head and set down his glass, then took off at full speed out of the bar.

Hit by the cold air outside, Cas inhaled sharply, holding back small sobs. He wished he never met Dean. Or that he had, but was as successful as Dean so he would have a chance with him. Or that he was _Mr. Perfect-to-Dean_ Scott goddamn Ecksi instead. He walked slowly in the direction of the Ford, taking more deep breaths, hoping that somehow the action would cure him from the sinking feeling that was only getting worse by the minute. He barely knew Dean, what the hell was wrong with him?  
  
Cas heard the bar doors fly open behind him and footsteps in his direction, but he paid it no mind. Nothing much mattered to him now except for going home and sleeping this terrible day off.

The footsteps grew louder and Cas feared he was seconds away from being robbed or something, when a hand grabbed his wrist tightly. He whipped around in defence, raising his keys as it was all he had as a weapon.

“Whoa, Cas! It’s me!”

Dean let go of Cas’s wrist and lifted his hands innocently. Cas’s mind told him to just be calm and act like he didn’t care about the scene in the bar, but his heart had other ideas. He couldn’t stop himself as his feelings flooded out of him.

“What the hell do you want? You seemed pretty cosy with your new boyfriend back there. Better get back to him. I’m really happy for you,” Cas spat, bitterness punctuating his every word.

“What?”

“You and Dr. Ecksi. I know about your feelings for him, and about his new divorce. So you saw your chance and ditched the pathetic little intern now you can have who you _really_ want, right?”

Cas cringed in his head at how stupid it must have sounded, how insecure and clingy, and he knew this would be the last time Dean would ever give him the time of day. But Dean stepped closer, and Cas caught his wonderful scent again. He stayed calm, his voice low.

“Cas. Okay, I had a thing for the guy once, yeah. But what you saw in there… I was comforting a friend who’s ex-wife took his friggin’ kid away. Trying to cheer the poor guy up, okay? Nothin’ more.”

Cas clenched his fist. He hoped Dean’s explanation would fill him relief, but it didn’t. Anger was still coursing through his veins, now with added humiliation and guilt, and he just turned back his car.

“Whatever.”

Dean grabbed his shoulder and forcefully brought Cas’s body back around to face his own. He lunged forward until he was pressing against Cas, Cas’s body now trapped between Dean and the side of the car. It was strangely reminiscent of their date, although this time it was far from tender.

“I want _YOU_ , dumbass.”

He had no time to think or speak before Dean caught Cas’s mouth with his own, grabbing his waist to pull Cas forward and hold him tightly, deepening the kiss as aggressively as possible. Cas’s heart leapt and he hooked his hands under Dean’s arms, clinging to his back. He nibbled Dean’s bottom lip through the kiss, causing the doctor to whine softly. Cas could already feel Dean’s crotch pressing against him, his arousal very obvious, and Cas said goodbye to the last of his self-control.

He reluctantly pushed Dean away from the extremely enjoyable kiss, and flicked the unlock button on his car keys. Dean watched him in confusion, as if Cas was gonna just drive away and leave him there without a word. But Cas repeated his move from Mercy Hill that Friday night, opening the door to present the back seat. He clutched Dean’s hand and pulled him hard until they both fell inside the Ford.

Cas reached behind the doctor and slammed the door shut, both men panting slightly in anticipation. He then proceeded to crush his lips to Dean’s again as both of their shirts and ties were discarded upon the car floor as quickly as possible. Cas broke the kiss again and leant closer to whisper in Dean’s ear in his deep voice, “This time, we’re gonna do it _properly_.”

He wasted no time tugging at Dean’s belt and slipping a hand down the front of his suit trousers and Armani boxers, stroking Dean slowly but firmly. Dean moaned again and attached to Cas’s neck, kissing and gently sucking along his warm and soft skin as Cas teased him. Cas used his other hand to swiftly undo Dean’s button and zip, taking the pants off as Dean helped him, kicking them off his feet. Dean pulled himself away from Cas’s hand and sat up, balanced on his knees, removing his boxers too.

Cas gazed at the young attending’s body in amazement, taking in every delicious part of it. He felt slightly intimidated and almost reverted back to his shy and unsure self. But he countered it by reaching forward and brushing his fingertips lightly along Dean’s smooth hipbones, caressing the V-shape that emphasized his extreme erection even more. He now wanted Dean more than anything. He wanted to make him feel amazing.

Cas sat up too, his face level with Dean’s smooth abdomen. He began planting kisses over every inch of Dean, his own stomach seeming to clench in excitement, taking in as much of Dean’s perfect scent and body as he could. He couldn’t get enough of him. Cas moved lower and lower, reaching those damn hipbones again and extended his tongue, running it teasingly along the shape of them, causing Dean to shudder and grab onto Cas’s shoulders for support.

Dean’s eyes fluttered closed and he held onto Cas, wanting to just feel. He wanted to let Cas do whatever he wanted. Cas was so shy, seeing him come out of his shell like this was turning Dean on so much he knew he wouldn’t last very long tonight. They had already begun to fog up the windows of Cas’s car, and they hadn’t even gone all the way yet.

Dean gasped when the sensation on his hipbones disappeared, and the warmth of Cas’s mouth curled around his length. “Oh, _fuck,_ ” Dean’s fingers grabbed through Cas’s thick hair as he was stimulated in the most incredible way he had ever experienced; and Dean started pushing his hips forward in small, sharp movements, feeling his orgasm already approaching at the speed of light.

“Cas, I – I think I'm gonna..,” Dean managed to blurt out between heavy pants.

He opened his eyes to see that Cas had already freed himself from the confines of his boxers, and was rapidly stroking himself as he touched Dean, and the sight alone was enough to make Dean lose it completely. But he didn’t. Instead, he pulled away from Cas again, and pushed against his shoulders gently in a silent instruction to lie down on the seats. Cas obeyed, and Dean lay on top of him, kissing him again, much more softly this time. At the same time, he ran a hand along Cas’s sides causing the intern to shiver pleasantly, and Dean wrapped his hand around both of their lengths.

Dean proceeded to stroke them both hard, fast as he could, and it took only seconds before Cas was also breathless beneath him. They broke the kiss in order to take hitched breaths, Dean not slowing down his pace. Cas managed to get out a broken “De… Dean!” as the attending leaned down and nipped his neck as they sailed over the edge, both of their orgasms crashing through them, both spilling onto Cas’s firm abdomen as Dean continued to work them through the overwhelming sensation. “God, Cas,” Dean almost whispered, his voice still dripping with lust as he collapsed limply on top of him.

Cas felt a huge rush of affection for him, and pressed a kiss to Dean’s moist forehead, stroking through his hair. Cas knew in his heart that he was already falling for him, and there was no way of stopping it.


	9. Tell Him

Two months scurried by. Yet, Cas felt like it was only yesterday that he had almost passed out from fear on Seattle Mercy’s doorstep, made out in an elevator and had a wet mop grace his crotch area. It had been an eventful few months. They had been made up of a frantic flurry of rounds, intense study sessions, pep talks, medical trial and error, sleepless and uncomfortable nights in the on-call room, a few patient deaths which had flayed the raw nerves of the interns responsible, and Dean. Cas had seized the opportunity to meet Dean whenever he could, away from watchful eyes; invalidating Dean’s insistence that they end whatever they had that day of the party. Cas felt guilty, selfish, but when Dean had walked through the door of Cas’s apartment for the first time and kissed him hungrily, when they had made love in Cas’s bed, and Cas had woken up to that beautiful sleeping face resting gently against his shoulder with the orange glow of the steady sunrise streaming onto him – _the most peaceful and heart-warming sight he had ever laid eyes on_ – Cas knew he couldn’t stop himself. That being said, it hurt like a bullet wound whenever Dean had to leave again straight away, or when Cas wanted to just saunter up and kiss him around the hospital, instead having to resort to clenching a fist and hold back.

Cas was troubled. He wanted to confront Dean, inquire as to why it was so taboo for them to be together, who he could go to in order to persuade otherwise – he was _more than willing_ to try, although he knew he couldn’t ever risk Dean’s job like that, or his own – and, more than anything, he wanted to know how the doctor truly felt about him. Dean was extremely closed-off emotionally, and seemed to hold actions to a higher importance than words. So whenever he embraced Cas or kissed him, or the way he would gaze longingly into Cas’s eyes, he seemed to be silently telling him something important. Cas wished he knew what that was – reading people had never been his forte. Sure, Dean would tell Cas he was perfect, amazing, and that he didn’t want to leave in the morning, but Dean had never once spoken directly from the heart about what he feeling. It was frustrating. _But if all this was just having fun and fooling around, he wouldn’t risk his job for it, right?_

The only people aware of Dean and Cas’s affair were Sam and Gabriel. Cas had to give credit to Gabriel for keeping his discretion on this one; it seemed he did have the ability to be serious when it really mattered. Sam, on the other hand, seemed a little confused when he saw Dean and Cas stiffen up in the hospital, behaving almost like strangers, when just the night before they had double dated to a fancy Italian restaurant or to the movies, sheer bliss undeniable upon both the intern and the doctor’s faces. Whatever Sam was thinking whenever he shot them that befuddled look, he never once voiced it.

It was lunchtime. Cas was once again surrounded with his friends as they made their way through cheeseburgers and milkshake. Cas had opted for chocolate milk instead, he had grown rather fond of it. It brought back cosy feelings of nostalgia from that night on the hill, and his first kiss with Dean. Cas sipped it, and glanced across the table at his friends fondly. Adam had become a valued member of their little cluster; he was smart, funny and had a snarky attitude which was somehow charming and occassionally came in useful. He had confided in Cas that he was trying to subtly squeeze a date out of Michael. He and Jess had long since broken up, just two weeks after they had begun, and Adam had decided it was worth trying even if he crashed and burned. Cas was the oldest of the group, and he felt a sense of protectiveness around his fellow interns. Sometimes they all seemed so small and vulnerable, especially Charlie lately; she had lost a patient a week ago and her spark had dimmed a little since then. Cas had dropped by her apartment when he heard, bringing her some ice cream and watching comedy shows with her until she was laughing again.

There were also two new faces around; interns for the surgical team; Sam’s field of expertise and supervised by Crowley. One was a shy brunette girl, the other a very youthful-looking boy who always wore a red and white cap whenever he wasn’t working. He was probably around 25, but he didn’t look a day over 17. Cas struggled to recall the boy’s name. It was a strange one. _Sam… Samandriel?_ A mythological sounding name, much like Castiel’s own, and Gabriel, and even Michael. It was weird, like fate or something. Or maybe just coincidence.

Cas excused himself from the table when Charlie and Aaron had excitedly begun discussing a new _The Walking Dead_ game and headed for the ground floor bathroom. He strolled down the corridor, realizing he felt rather content with the direction his life was currently going in. Cas passed by the doctor’s lounge, when he heard hushed but confrontational voices seeping out from the slightly ajar door. He stopped in his tracks when he identified one of the voices as Sam’s. He leaned against the wall, as close to the crack of the door as he could.

“I just can’t believe you. How the hell can you lie to him like that? He’s a really good kid!”

“Sam-”

Cas’s breath hitched and his heart leapt up in his chest. Dean’s voice.

“No, don’t try to explain this away. You told Castiel that seeing him outside of work was forbidden? That’s pretty messed up, Dean. Especially for you.”

“Damn it, Sam. What else can I do, huh?” Dean’s voice rose a little this time, bitter and riddled with frustration. “Tell Cas the truth? You got any idea how disappointed he would be? All I seem to do is screw up! What happened… that’s on me, I can’t take it back and now I’m paying for it.”

Cas listened as Sam sighed, mellowing a little.

“Dean, he’s not gonna care. I’ve seen you two together; he doesn’t care about your reputation or how successful you are. Or money. He cares about you. And I know you care about him too. You’ve gotta tell him!”

“How the hell would that go, Sammy? ‘Hey, Cas, you look up to me as a good doctor. You trust me. And it just so happens that I’m gettin’ sued for Mrs. Rosen’s death. Still wanna go out sometime?’”

“Dean-”

“It’s too late. I’m quitting. I’m supposed to help people, Sam. To save them. I messed up,” Dean’s voice was soft, and broke slightly. “I shouldn’t be a doctor anymore. I’m just… not good enough. I’m… I’m gonna go someplace new, a place where I don’t have this hanging over my head.”

Cas’s hands began to tremble, that horrible, unshakeable feeling of dread and devastation descending onto him. The doctor’s lounge fell silent, the atmosphere so tense it could be carved with a knife. Cas quickly took off down the hall to the bathroom before either Sam or Dean exited the room to find him eavesdropping. Cas was already well out of earshot when Dean delivered his final words to Sam.

“Just because you love someone, it doesn’t mean you should stick around and screw up their life.”

Rushing into a cubicle, Cas leaned against the wall, his heart thudding. He took a few deep breaths and attempted to process the information. He couldn’t decide which hurt the most; Dean lying to him, having such a weight upon his shoulders and not trusting Cas with that, or the fact that Dean was quitting, meaning Cas was about to lose him for good. Cas now knew what Dean was trying to say whenever he gazed intensely into Cas’s eyes. He was saying goodbye.


	10. Soap Opera Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cliches and angst but things will start looking up!

For the next fortnight, Cas went around in a daze, unable to give much attention to almost anything. Dean seemed to be on his mind permanently. This time, the notion of losing him hurt a thousand times more than that day Dean had lied about their relationship being forbidden, because this time Cas wouldn’t even get to see him around anymore. He’d just be gone for good. Dean had called a few times asking to see him again, but Cas had avoided it as much as possible, making up excuses about needing to hit the books, maybe some other time. However, when he had tried to keep to his word, he had simply stared at the pages, reading the same line over and over until he flung the book aside in frustration. _What would be the point of seeing Dean and holding him tight when it would be gone soon? And why was Dean being sued?_ It made no sense. Cas could remember that night as if it was yesterday. Of course, the butterfly feeling when they watched the stars together was the highlight, Cas would never forget it, but he had also cared about Mrs. Rosen. He had managed to shake her death off since but he remembered, clear as a bell; Dean had done everything in his power to revive her. He was an excellent doctor and he didn’t deserve this. Dean was perfect. Special, even.

Cas’s lip trembled slightly and he fought against his feelings as they seemed to intensify within him. He needed to talk to someone about this. But who? Not Dean - Dean didn’t trust him. Not Charlie, Aaron, or Adam – they didn’t know about his relationship. _Sam. Of course._ Sam was the reason Cas had even found out in the first place, and he’d pushed for Dean to come clean about it.

He spent a few minutes contemplating as to whether he should call Sam; he’d given his number to Cas the first time they had double dated. Sam was kind, trustworthy, a good friend. Should he call him? Suddenly, Cas’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. _Oh no, what if it was Dean?_ The way Cas was feeling, it wouldn’t go well. He didn’t feel ready to face Dean just yet. May as well find out who it was before jumping to conclusions, anyway. He padded across the room and pulled the door open.

“Hey, Cassy!”

“Charlie? Um, what are you doing here?”

She stepped forward into the apartment, handing Cas a cardboard cup containing a latte as she passed by. When she spoke, Charlie sounded concerned. “Well y’know, you were there for me when Mr. Harvelle was lost, and you… you seem a little down lately, Cassy. You don’t have to tell me about it, but you can let me cheer you up? I brought donuts!”

“Thanks, Charlie. But my appetite leaves much to be desired lately.”

“Okay, no problem,” she replied, opening the box and taking a huge bite from a jelly donut, washing it down with a sip from her cup, “Let’s go out instead. You’re gonna get flabby if you don’t walk enough!” She poked at his abdomen playfully.

Cas smiled for the very first time that day. Charlie was like a little sister, so upbeat. So colourful, both in personality and physically, when teamed with her vibrant red hair, blue eyes and today’s hooded jacket, matching her eye color. Cas relented as she grabbed his hand and tugged him out of the door. Maybe spending time with her would clear his head somehow, even to a small degree.

He spent an hour out with Charlie – they walked through the nearby park chatting, even goofed around on the swings for a while until Cas felt rather nauseous. It was fun, he had really needed it. Then, Charlie had asked again if he wanted to talk about what was bothering him, and Cas realized he couldn’t keep it in any longer.

“It’s Dr. Winchester. We are - _we were_ \- seeing each other. I care about him a great deal.”

He went on to spill the beans about the lawsuit, about hearing the conversation between Dean and Sam, and that the doctor would soon be leaving the hospital for God knows where. Charlie was speechless, mouth hanging open in awe by the time he finished.

“Wow. That is some soap opera madness!”

“Uh… that’s not helpful, Charlie.”

She had turned serious, stared off into the distance, visibly racking her brain for answers. She looked back at Cas again after a few seconds, seeming exasperated.

“First of all, you two are complete morons. He shouldn’t have lied, and YOU,” the word was punctuated with a small whack to Cas’s shoulder, “you need to see him! Tell him you know the truth and get him to stay. Do whatever it takes!”

Cas could only nod reluctantly, biting his lip, pain evident in his bright blue eyes. He knew she was right, but he couldn’t. Dean was stubborn – he wouldn’t listen to reason. And why would he stay? Because Cas asked him to? He didn’t even tell him the truth from the start. Clearly, Dean didn’t hold Cas to much importance in his life. Not the way Cas had for him.

On the way back to Cas’s apartment, the pair had stopped by a café for another drink to relieve the humidity of the day. Charlie had chosen iced tea and Cas had gone for Coke – no more chocolate milk for him. That drink was ruined for life for Cas. Afterwards, they parted at Cas’s door, exchanging a hug and farewell. When Cas entered his stuffy apartment again, he switched on the air conditioner beside the phone when he noticed the red button flashing – a message? Probably his electrician or something over the flickering lights in the bathroom. He pressed the ‘play’ button nonchalantly and raided his refrigerator for some ice cream.

“Hey, Cas-”

His head shot up, eyes wide. _A message from Dean._

“I wanted to talk to you, Cas. Long before today, but now it’s too late. I screwed up, I lied, and I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me anytime soon. I know I won’t. I want you to know that… you’re important to me, from the moment we met; I knew. I knew that… actually, never mind. Anyway, uh, I don’t even know why I’m callin’; I always sucked with goodbyes. So, uh, ‘bye Cas. Take care.”

_What?!_

Cas gulped, his body filling up with panic and he raced over to the phone. Punching in Dean’s cellphone number, he gripped the back of couch tightly to steady his shaking hands. _Please, no. Don't go, Dean._

Voicemail.

Cas tried five more times but to no avail. Now, he was truly desperate. No time for worries stopping him. He dialled Sam’s number as fast as he could.

“Hello?”

“Sam! It’s me, Castiel. Where’s Dean?!”

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“Dean, he- he left, Cas. Half an hour ago, he resigned and he’s heading for the airport. Said he’s going to his hometown, Kansas, for a while.”

“Is he ever coming back, Sam? Tell me the truth. I know about the lawsuit. I heard you both talking at the hospital. Will he come back?” Cas’s voice cracked, panic still rising up inside him.

“I’m sorry, Cas. He should have told you. He’ll be back for the case, yeah. Permanently? I really don’t know. He’s a stubborn idiot.”

Charlie’s advice resounded in Cas’s mind, and he immediately voiced it. “I have to stop him.”

Sam sounded pleased. “He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” Cas could imagine Sam now, a warm smile upon his face, happy that Cas cared about Dean as much as he did. “The case – it’s not Dean’s fault – he’s not responsible. I tried to tell him, Cas, but he just won’t listen. We’ve gotta do something! That moron – he’s like a brother to me; I don’t know what I’ll do without him.”

“I’m going to the airport. Don’t worry, Sam.”

“I’ll meet you at the airport! We won’t let him go.” Sam assured.

When Cas hung up, he scrambled around for the keys to the Ford, the hands of times against him. This only worsened his state of alarm. He finally located the keys, and there was another knock at his door. God, now what?

“Cassy! I forgot my donuts- wait, what’s wrong? You’re shaking!”

Charlie rushed into the room when Cas opened the door, his face ghostly pale. “What happened?”

“Dean. He’s gone…”

“He LEFT? Already?”

“I need to stop him, Charlie…”

“We’re gonna stop him together, ‘kay? We’ll take my car.”

Cas protested. “But…” Charlie pulled the keys from Cas’s hands.

“Look at yourself, you can’t drive like this! In fact, I should get you a bag to breathe in or something.”

Cas laughed nervously, memories coming back to him. He wished Sam was here now, keeping him calm. Even Gabriel too, his jokes would keep Cas’s mind off what was going on, even if only for a few seconds.

The drive – or race – to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was frantic, with Charlie seeming almost as panicked as Cas. She must have known how imperative it was to Cas that they stopped Dean before it was too late. A few red lights had been ran, horns honking, speed limits exceeded, Cas gripping the seat and hoping he’d survive the trip.

“Charlie, you almost hit that cyclist!”

“It’s okay, _we’re doctors_!”

They pulled up in Charlie’s red Toyota and Cas wasted no time, leaping from the vehicle when he spotted Sam arriving too. “Thanks, Charlie!”

Teamed up with Sam, who gave the details of Dean’s planned flight and gate, they ran through the airport as fast as they could, hoping Dean wouldn’t have gone through security yet. He was scheduled to leave for Kansas in one hour. If he had gone through the system, he’d be lost to them.

“Cas. There!” Sam gestured into the distance. Dean could be seen, mixed in with a crowd, all filtering through the check-in door. They were too late to reach him.

“Dean!” Cas yelled at the top of his lungs. Dean did not stop, the distance between them growing wider.

“Dean, wait!” Cas repeated. “I… I love you!”

People turned around, judgement clear upon their faces. But Cas didn’t care. None of that mattered now. His heart skipped a beat when he thought he saw Dean pause in response. _Yes, he had heard!_ But then he turned the corner, out of sight. Out of Seattle. Out of Cas’s life.

The intern’s heart sank, his lip trembled, and he took a shaky breath. He turned away, devastated, back to face Sam. Sam was wearing his hurt, puppy-dog expression. He placed a comforting hand upon Cas’s shoulder. Both men stood in silence for a few minutes, attempting to process what had just happened. There were no words that would help either of them now. Cas’s eyes were locked on the white speckled floor, and he took the chance to ask Sam what he had been wondering for a long time now.

“He would never talk about it, but… what did I mean to Dean? What did he feel, Sam? If there was anything at all.”

There was a long, drawn-out pause. When he heard no response, Cas looked up from the floor to study Sam’s face. His expression had changed; and he was now smiling in satisfaction, not meeting Cas’s eyes, rather, looking at something beyond him.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Cas frowned in confusion as Sam turned and walked away, shaking his head and continuing to smile.

Behind Cas, Dean’s voice suddenly spoke up. “I love you too, Cas.”


	11. Time For a Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pure happiness!

_The room had been tense. A boardroom full of suits, all here to deduce whether Dean was liable for Mrs. Rosen’s death and whether he would be leaving this room as a doctor stripped of his licence, and therefore no longer a doctor at all, or a part of Seattle Mercy Hospital. Dean had been sitting at the table, his palms clammy and trembling, wringing them in fear, awaiting nervously what would happen next. Dean had already admitted defeat. Very few doctors were not found liable of things like this, and after being sued – winning the case or not - their reputation was usually tarnished as a result. A black mark on a perfect record that couldn’t ever be erased._

_That day at the airport, when Cas had yelled across a busy airport that he was in love with Dean, it was all Dean had needed to decide to stay in Seattle. He needed Cas, the one good thing in his life right now. They had returned home, Dean hugging Sam tightly and retiring to Cas’s apartment to make up for everything. Cas had decided to forgive him for the lies, saying that he “capisce’d” why Dean had done it. And it was so hard to remember all the lawsuit crap when they had raced into the shower together; slowly and gently kissing, which had then evolved into hot, frantic love-making; the best either of them had ever had. Monday morning back at the hospital, they had made their relationship official and were now just as infamous a couple as Sam and Gabriel. Dean was happy, but he realized that didn’t get him away from all this legal business._

_Dean had chosen not to call any witnesses on his behalf. Why embarrass himself? He was ready to go quietly. All he could think about as the boardroom went over papers and engaged in hushed discussion, was what kind of career he would have after this. What other jobs he was interested in. He came up with nothing. But then, his thoughts were gratefully interrupted. The door opened and Cas presented himself. He argued that he was a reliable witness to the event, and looked to Bob Singer for permission to defend Dean as a doctor. Bob had happily obliged and nodded, granting it. Cas went on and on. He told the stuffy workmen how incredible Dean was, how quickly they had gone to her bedside, his swift and professional work with the defibrillator, CPR, and everything else he could possibly do to resuscitate Mrs. Rosen. That the sweet old woman was top of the waiting list – and Dean could not be held accountable for such a cruel twist of fate. How much he looked up to Dean as his superior, his mentor, and as a person._

_And, just like that, they had ended up winning the case. Dean’s licence was saved, his job secure, his reputation just as strong as it always was. All because of this intern who cared. Cared about Dean, about Mrs. Rosen, about everybody who mattered to him. It was just as Dean said that night when it all happened; too much heart, Castiel. It wasn’t a criticism, it was a blessing. When they had left the boardroom triumphant, Dean had grabbed Cas in the tightest embrace possible, a single tear rolling down his right cheek. They had then kissed fiercely in celebration, a roar of cheers erupting from all the friends and colleagues, overwhelmingly happy that Dean was staying at Seattle Mercy._

That had been a month ago now. Cas remembered it fondly. So dramatic, so tense, and then so incredibly happy that Cas hadn’t stopped smiling that whole day. He was even smiling now as he thought about it again.

“Hey Cas. You ready? Time to go.” Dean instructed, tying his tie. He looked amazing in his black suit, a pink flower hooked to his lapel.

“Yes, Dean. Let’s go.”

They were going to a wedding. A joyous union, a union of one happy-go-lucky surgeon and a wily, playful janitor. Cas was so happy for them, both of them were now almost siblings to him. Especially Gabriel, who had turned out to be a dick on the outside, but on the inside, a caring soul with good intentions. He had even told Cas his real name, and Cas had given Sam a mischievous, knowing look before pretending he had just learned this information, Sam winking at him. Cas loved them both like brothers, and they seemed to reciprocate, admitting to Dean that he had found ‘the One’ in Cas, and they had warned him to never let Cas go again.

Sam and Gabriel had chosen to get married in Hawaii, of all places. All guests were staying in the nearby hotel next to the beach. The beach would be a beautiful backdrop to the pier, complete with an arch artfully decorated with peach roses and fairy lights. They were to be married at sunset. Gabriel had acted indifferent to it, stating that he didn’t give a damn for all this “mushy crap,” that it was only for Samantha’s benefit, but Cas had seen Gabriel’s eyes light up when they had visited the site in all its beauty, the orange, pink and purple blend of the clouds on the horizon as the sun went down. Gabriel was just as mushy as Sam, and Cas knew it, though he knew better than to say it. Dean seemed to appreciate the view too, reaching to subtly lace his fingers with Cas’s, squeezing his hand.

There were so many guests at the ceremony itself. Everyone had really made an effort to get to Hawaii, a very welcome break from the usual grind in a colourless hospital full of sick people. As they approached the pier, Cas could see Charlie and Gilda, Aaron, Kevin, Michael and Jess, Balthazar, Bob, Chuck, Crowley, and a few more familiar faces, and some less familiar. He chuckled and nudged Dean when he caught sight of Adam, in a gentle lip-lock with that newer kid, Samandriel. They looked really cute together. And after being rejected by Michael, Adam deserved this.

The marriage itself went beautifully; Sam was in tears after the vows, Gabriel right behind him after the exchange of rings. Dean had even been visibly emotional during the ceremony, quietly whispering in Cas’s ear about Sam, “That’s my boy.” He had never looked more like a proud brother than he did at this moment. Cas now knew the feeling, too. He caught Gabriel’s eye and smiled, giving him a thumbs up. He had chosen wisely with Sam.

The reception afterwards; or rather, the beach party with open bar, was great fun and free of drama, Cas was thrilled to notice. There were cocktails, more fairy lights and lanterns, delicious food, atmospheric music, dancing – Cas had even forced Dean up to dance with him, then realizing that he wasn’t very good at it, instead pulling the doctor close in a romantic slow dance, thinking that Dean was much better at this than doing that embarrassing chicken dance he had favoured before. They had met some interesting new people at the party – a beautiful mother and daughter named Ellen and Jo, Bob Singer expressing some real interest in the elder woman, Ellen – a sassy African-American psychic lady named Missouri, and a sneaky looking young female, Meg, who shamelessly flirted with Cas – who did not pick up on it - and gave him bedroom eyes and innuendo until he was very quickly hauled away by an obvious and extremely jealous Dean, who then pressed his lips to Cas’s to remind him who he belonged to.

By about 1am, the party had died down, most people going off to bed. Cas and Dean bid goodnight to Charlie, Gilda and Kevin, leaving only them and the newlyweds on the moonlit beach. Sam and Gabriel were cuddled up on a sun lounger, sipping on their drinks; a cold beer for the surgeon and a Pina Colada for Gabriel, whose sweet tooth never seemed to let up. Eventually, though, the couple also retreated to their honeymoon suite, intending to spend the next two weeks here in celebration of their marriage. Cas turned to Dean, who had changed into jeans and a simple red t-shirt for the reception, and was now laying on the sand, gazing out to sea.

“We should probably go back too, Dean. It’s getting late.”

Dean looked up at his “angel” as he liked to call Cas, with a playful twinkle in his big green eyes.

“Or,” he pulled Cas’s arm and kissed him hungrily. “we’re on a beach, Cas. At night, all alone, in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Sleep can wait.”

Cas lay on top of Dean, fingers tangling in his hair as they kissed again, more passionately this time. Dean pulled away and sat up, taking off his jeans to reveal blue Hawaiian-themed shorts underneath. Cas laughed softly and moved off the doctor, standing up. Dean followed, pulling off his shirt to reveal his broad shoulders and toned abdomen. Cas took a minute to ogle the other man, appreciating just how amazing he always looked – even in those shorts. _You have such an aesthetically-pleasing boyfriend_ , Cas told himself. Dean winked at the intern and took off down the beach, the water splashing out around him as he raced into the ocean.

Cas laughed when he heard Dean yell. “Dammit, Cas! It’s freezing!” Cas must have drank too much though, because he, too, stripped down to his shorts and slowly made his way into the water, every inch deeper he went taking his breath away, it really was cold at this time of the night. His body soon adjusted to it, though, and Dean waded over to him, wrapping his arms around Cas’s waist and gently pressing a warm, loving kiss to his lips. Cas deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing the seam of Dean’s lips, the kiss becoming a passionate make-out session, with the gentle whooshing of the clear waves upon the shore a beautiful soundtrack to their beautiful moment. Cas’s thoughts raced, and he knew he had never felt happier. Then he felt Dean’s erection against his thigh and realized that now was not the time to be thinking.


End file.
